Of course, markets celebrate every new iteration of the nation-state’s collapse. At this point in history, the nation is nothing but an obstacle to them. 

N’s analyst asked him today if he feels rage towards Trump. I’m guessing Trump’s been the major topic of discussion for his clients and he’s wondering why N is silent on the subject. 

N said he didn’t. And I feel the same way. I look at Trump like one does at those cockroach races – it’s repulsive in a slightly entertaining sort of way. 

My rage is directed against the incompetent losers who let him get elected. And I also feel a lot of pain for people who think he will defend their interests. I feel rage against the journalists who act like it’s huge news that he’s Putin’s puppet. There would be no Trump if it weren’t for all these people, so why blame him for pursuing his self-interest? It’s more rational than their collective self-sabotage. 

I feel the same way about Putin. I have zero anger towards him. It’s the freaks he robs while they worship him that I detest. 

I’ve spent an amazing day with Klara, and now I’m in the mood for silly jokes. This one is from Facebook. 

Putin hates the West and wants it to collapse. When that happens, Russia will be able to occupy its place of leadership and appropriate its cultural, political and economic hegemony. He is no secretive about this goal. To the contrary, he spells it out very clearly every chance he gets.

What will the collapse of the West look like? Here are a few things that the Kremlin propaganda machine has been advancing as the positive scenarios that would benefit Russia:

1. The collapse of the EU.
2. Another global economic crisis.
3. The turmoil in the US political system that would demonstrate that the democratic institutions are weak and rotten.
4. Animosity between different US states. Ideally, talk of secession or profound regional tensions in the US.
5. Demonstrably falsified elections in the US.
6. An explosion of racist and xenophobic violence in Europe and the US.
7. Far-right governments in power in Europe and the US.

While Obama was president, Putin limited himself to a practical advancement of the first of these goals. Now the rest of the goals have opened themselves up as serious possibilities. With Obama in the White House, Putin wanted to rule part of Eastern Europe and that was that. Now he knows he can get a lot more.

I must be saying uh-oh a lot because Klara has learned to say it and now responds with an uh-oh of her own whenever I say it. She also knows how to say blah-blah-blah. Yesterday I was telling a story to N and said something like, “And then they stayed there for another hour doing their blah-blah-blah.” 

When she heard that, Klara took out her pacifier, said “Blah-blah-blah”, and put the pacifier back. 

It felt weird. It was as if she was understanding the conversation all of a sudden. 

Russia is suddenly in vogue, and Rachel Maddow is doing a segment on Alexei Navalny. It’s complete junk, of course. She’s peeing herself with enthusiasm over a fellow who’s a neo-Nazi. Here is my old post about Navalny. I tried giving him every benefit of the doubt but he opens his mouth, and some racist shit pops out every single time. 

I’m sorry that the only choice in Russia is between a gauche, wooden-faced neo-Nazi and Putin. It stinks. But that’s the country that installed its puppet as our president right now. Take it from somebody who is more familiar with Russia’s political life than you are with the palm of your hand: there’s nothing hopeful, redeemable or positive there. There’s nothing but slime. 

And one more thing. Other places are complicated. You can’t figure them out from a quick googling session. You need experts, knowledgeable people. Or you’ll end up waxing enthusiastic for a fellow who likes doing the Nazi salute. 

Top Trump team members were in constant contact with senior members of the Russian government and intelligence community during the presidential campaign. . . A “Dark Cloud of Russia” now hangs over the administration. Chilling. And this is real.

Well, duh. I’ve only said this since the summer of 2015. All one needed to do to figure it out was follow the Russian propaganda media for two seconds. 

This is supposed to be a globalized world. If I have known this for 18 months, how come everybody else in the US is just figuring this out? 

The funniest Valentine’s gift idea is this cannabis bouquet. I like the honesty of admitting that nobody will sleep with the sender without getting strung out of their mind. 

My book will cost the insane amount of $85, both print and ebook. I’m disgusted. 

The good thing is that all the best parts are here on the blog for free. 

There can be no action or event more symbolic of the demise of the nation-state than the President of the US letting a bunch of drunk jerks get photographed and Facebooked with the nuclear briefcase. 

But as long as people are entertained by the news of federal authorities hunting and deporting a bunch of waiters and lawn mowers, they will actually believe that this administration is all about strengthening and not dismantling the nation-state. 

It’s weird for me to see how easily people hate somebody who is poorer and more miserable than they are and how incapable they are of directing their anger against the rich and the bratty. I can’t muster any animosity against the illegal Carloses and Marias because hell, they are just trying to stay afloat any way they can. Legal, illegal – they are just a bunch of poor schmucks. 

But the rich fuckers footballing the nuclear briefcase between bouts of drunken laughter- the rage I feel against them is enormous.